Post by george on Jul 25, 2020 0:46:43 GMT
Had my first proper bus ride today since February as there was something I was after today
LT9xx (EL3) Westbury Road - Barking Station: Nothing much to report on this journey. People pretty much back to normal lives in Barking
District Line (S Stock) Barking - Mile End: Been a while since I used an S Stock, boy did that feel nice. Everyone on the train was wearing a mask from my observations which was good to see.
Central Line (1992 Stock) Mile End - Oxford Circus: Nothing much to report here
Bakerloo Line (1972 Stock) Oxford Circus - Paddington: This train was far more crowded than I thought it would be for the time of day. Didn't realise Regents Park was still closed, however I imagine stations will slowly start reopening again now that staffing levels are becoming less of an issue.
GWR (Class 387) Paddington - Hayes & Harlington: I forgot how nice these 387s were, such wonderful trains. A bit annoying they don't have USB sockets though as I didn't bring my wall adapter with me. The train was also really quiet and empty and was a nice trip. The amount of 345s parked at Old Oak Common is just laughable seeing as they should have seen service many times over by now.
Route 90 (VW1290) Hayes & Harlington Station - Envoy Avenue: The bus was extremely restricted for some reason, didn't make the most pleasant of journeys for this reason. But this is exactly where I wanted to go Wanted to grab a potential last look at the British Airways 747s all parked by Hatton Cross. Even had the Negus Liveried one parked quite nicely for a photo. Also really is weird seeing Heathrow operating with only a single runway.
Route 285: (ADE40460) Envoy Avenue - Cromwell Road Bus Station: First time doing this route. Don't have much to say about it, the bus was quite nice however the route is totally plagued by 20 zones which makes it such a drag. There was also a considerable gap in the route on the Heathrow end, not quite sure how that ended up forming. The approach into Kingston over the river is wonderful though and made up for the rest of the route. There were quite a few people riding this route from Heathrow to Kingston - I thought they'd opt for the X26 but maybe the frequency there left a lot to be desired.
SWR (Class 455) Kingston - London Waterloo: Not the train I wanted, it was full of teenagers heading into Central London to make use of the evening. Other than that it was pretty uneventful. However despite the trains are probably among the older in the fleet they have been kept really well.
Route 521 (SEe6) Waterloo Station/Tenison Way - Holborn Circus: Just a quick hop to get to where I wanted to be. Forgot how useless the chargers were on these buses, gave me an estimated charge time of 4 hours and 45min despite my phone had 60% battery Two unsuspecting passengers who must have wanted to go to Aldwych asked the driver if she went over the bridge to which she correctly responded yes however I don't think they anticipated it using the Strand Underpass as they looked really confused when the bus dived down there. Also did notice a 76 standing at its first stop in Waterloo .
Route 25 (11349) Holborn Circus - Aldgate Station: These buses are really nice, not quite sure how long they'll remain so with the crowds this route has to deal with. The route is still on its long term diversion via St Paul's Cathedral. The Holborn Circus stop these days is almost exclusively used by people just changing from the 8 to the 25, it's pathetic. Would have been nice if it at least continued the few stops to Red Lion Square. But we can sit here forever talking about that one. Stagecoach are doing a wonderful job on this route so far apart from some excess running time. Let's see how it manages when schools and many other workplaces are open again.
Route 115 (EH!42) Aldgate Bus Station - Canning Town Bus Station: Not much to report here. The EHs seem to be showing signs of wear and tear these days. Would be nice if cars stopped parking in bus lanes though. It kind of defeats the purpose if a bus can't get between them The traffic at the tunnel looked awful, was glad I had nothing to do with that.
Route 474 (11025) Canning Town Bus Station - Beckton Bus Station: These Smart Hybrids are really nippy. It will be a shame when the 474 is rerouted though Kier Hardie Estate and the bit past West Silvertown is a lot of fun. However it will probably be a valued link in the estate I'm really sure. The development at Royal Wharf seems pretty much complete, can't be too long until the 241 is send down there. The 330s new stand also looks really beaten up already despite nobody ever using it. Such a useless place to terminate a route pretty much in the middle of nowhere.
Route 173 (T184) Beckton Bus Station - King Edward's Road: These buses are really done for now. Very fast becoming the 123 VLAs of Enviro400s. T184 had a metal plate on the floor for some reason too. The passengers will be in for a surprise when the electrics turn up on the route.